Tmogul
09-25-2005, 08:46 PM
Its that time of year and interbike will showcase the best of the best and prototypes for future wonder bikes. I'm wondering though how much better bikes can actually get. I can see them getting lighter and stronger but I don't see them performing much better than a top notch frame today. Absorption capabilities and stiffness will always be at odds and a rigid road frame will never be as comfortable as a full suspension bike. Also as somebody mentioned on this forum no matter how comfortable a bike is after so many hours your body will be in pain.
So if the dream custom bike fits perfectly and the feel is as desired due to the geometry and materials chosen (carbon, ti, steel, etc) then why don't we stay satisfied with the frame and just upgrade components as they break down? I remember reading about a pro team complaining mid season about how their frames were feeling dead and needed to be replaced. So the director would secretly send the old frames back for a fresh paint job and pass them off as brand new and the riders were happy once again.
I guess those of you who have been on this forum for quite a while can easily see the progression of reviews from one year's top model frame to the next year's best. I know I thought my cannondale would be my end all bike and after 5 yrs I'm back in the market looking at custom. I hope the custom frame will bring years and years of enjoyment before I get sucked in again. :)
By the way who here has the longest running "monogamous relationship" with a bike (primary bike...not just one that was stowed away in the garage)?
And for those of you who collect all sorts of different bikes (dbrk, dnovo, climb).....we all can't be so fortunate but we can always dream.
So if the dream custom bike fits perfectly and the feel is as desired due to the geometry and materials chosen (carbon, ti, steel, etc) then why don't we stay satisfied with the frame and just upgrade components as they break down? I remember reading about a pro team complaining mid season about how their frames were feeling dead and needed to be replaced. So the director would secretly send the old frames back for a fresh paint job and pass them off as brand new and the riders were happy once again.
I guess those of you who have been on this forum for quite a while can easily see the progression of reviews from one year's top model frame to the next year's best. I know I thought my cannondale would be my end all bike and after 5 yrs I'm back in the market looking at custom. I hope the custom frame will bring years and years of enjoyment before I get sucked in again. :)
By the way who here has the longest running "monogamous relationship" with a bike (primary bike...not just one that was stowed away in the garage)?
And for those of you who collect all sorts of different bikes (dbrk, dnovo, climb).....we all can't be so fortunate but we can always dream.